Voluntary Disclosure

Scheme of 1997
Prepared By :

1. Aditya Kondawar
2. Shivam Gupta
3. Ajay Iyer
4. Saurav Kumar
The provisions of Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme, 1997 introduced
by Finance Act, 1997 are contained in Sections 62 to 78 of the Act.
The object of the Scheme was to mobilize resources and channelize funds
into priority sectors of the economy and to offer an opportunity to persons
who have evaded tax in the past to declare their undisclosed income, pay a
reasonable tax and in future adopt the path of rectitude and civil
responsibility. The scheme commenced on 1.7.97 and ended on 31.12.97.
An Insight into the Scheme
It covered all persons, corporate or non-corporate.
The tax payable on the income declared under the scheme was 35 per cent
in the case of corporates and firms and 30 per cent in the case of all other
declarants, at par with the normal tax rate applicable for the current
financial year.
According to the scheme, a person could make a declaration in respect of
any income chargeable to tax for any assessment year upto the assessment
year 1997-98 for which he has failed to furnish the return of income or failed
to disclose income in the returns filed.
Salient Features of the Scheme
The scheme provided that all particulars contained in a declaration were to
be treated confidential.
Furthermore, the contents of the declaration were not admissible evidence
against the declarant for
the purpose of penalty or prosecution under any of the following acts:
(i) Income-tax Act, 1961
(ii) Wealth-tax Act, 1957
(iii) Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973
(iv) Companies Act, 1956

PROFILE OF DECLARANTS

Category of Declarants Number Amount Declared
Individuals and HUFs 4,60,789 30,746.75
Firms 9,980 1036.06
Companies 3,109 1654.62
Others 1,599 259.87
Total 4,75,477 33,697.32
Range No. of declarants Declared amount Tax paid Tax not paid
>= Rs. 1 crore 2,037 6,068.21 1,479.68 416.46
>=Rs. 75 lakh but <
Rs1 crore
1,151 976.71 293.31 6.36
>=Rs. 50 lakh but
< Rs 75 lakh
3,242 1,896.27 566.81 11.92
>=Rs. 25 lakh but
< Rs 50 lakh
12,477 4,133.07 1,233.27 20.98
< Rs 25 lakh 4,56,570 20,623.06 6,155.95 59.98
Total 4,75,477 33,697.32 9,728.02 515.70
RANGE OF UNDISCLOSED
INCOME

Exemptions
l However, the Scheme did not give immunity to offences under the following Acts:
(i) Chapter IX or Chapter XVII of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860)
(ii) The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (61 of 1985)
(iii) The Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (28 of 1987)
(iv) The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (49 of 1988)
(v) For the purpose of enforcement of any civil liability.

The scheme was also not applicable to any person in respect of whom an order of
detention has been made under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and
Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974.
Result of Voluntary Disclosure Scheme of 1997
The scheme was a resounding success with total number of disclosures of
over 0.47 million (compared with current tax assesses of 12 million),
involving disclosure of income of Rs.330 billion (estimated at 2.3 per cent of
GDP at current market price for the year 1997-98).
The scheme netted collections placed at Rs.101 billion (estimated at 0.7 per
cent of GDP at current market prices for the year 1997-98).
The revenue collected under VDIS 1997 accounted for about 7 per cent of
the gross tax revenues and 20 per cent of the gross direct taxes of the centre
respectively as per the revised estimates for 1997-98.
Scale of Success of different VDS Schemes
Scheme No. of cases Income/Wealth
declared
Tax Colllected
VDS 1951 20912 70.20 10.89
VDS 1965 2001 52.18 30.80
VDS 1965 (2) 114226 145 19.45
VDS 1997 245570 (Income)
13422 (Wealth)
746.07(Income)
841.72 (Wealth)
249
7.70
Bibliography
http://www.cag.gov.in/reports/d_taxes/2000_book2/index.htm

http://www.capitalmarket.com/macro/vdis.htm

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/keyword/vdis

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/keyword/vdis

http://www.hindu.com/businessline/2000/08/26/stories/012664b1.htm

http://indiabudget.nic.in/es97-98/chap22.pdf


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